1 Lie on your back. Grab the outside of your left foot with your left hand, resting your elbow inside the knee.
This is a great stretch for your groin to help relieve lower-back pain. Use Happy baby before a yoga workout to help warm up, or after a workout session to release muscle tension and speed up recovery. This posture is also perfect for when you want to move but don’t feel like exercising.
TARGET AREAS
• groin • lower back • hamstrings • inner thighs
BENEFITS
• Releases lower-back tension and discomfort • Stretches groin and hamstrings • Increases hip flexibility
1 Lie on your back. Grab the outside of your left foot with your left hand, resting your elbow inside the knee.
2 Grab the outside of your right foot with your right hand, resting your elbow inside the knee. Flex your feet by reaching your toes towards your shins. Press your feet up into your hands, and pull your feet towards the floor with your hands, creating opposing forces to deepen the stretch in your groin. Squeeze the outer hips to drive the knees outwards. Relax your head, shoulders, and back, slightly tucking the chin in to keep the neck and spine neutral. Hold the posture, inhaling to maintain the position, and exhaling to deepen the stretch.
YOU SHOULD FEEL
• Stretch in groin and hamstrings
• Release of lower back
• Slight engagement of quadriceps and upper back
YOU SHOULDN’T FEEL
• Lower-back pain; if so, bend knees more, and engage core
PRO TIP
Roll lightly from side to side, and slightly bend and straighten your legs to achieve the desired stretch in your thighs.
NOT THERE YET?
